


Nothing More Than (Love and) Space Dust

by elizathecat



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Autistic Bruce Banner, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, autistic thor, space suits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:02:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29437962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizathecat/pseuds/elizathecat
Summary: Thor takes Bruce on a date to the moon for Valentine's Day
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Thor
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Nothing More Than (Love and) Space Dust

**Author's Note:**

> This is not "set" in any sort of "canon" it's just fluff :)

It was a full moon. Bruce stared out of the window, his nose almost touching the cold glass as he admired Earth’s natural satellite. The dark seas and bright, scar-like impact craters were familiar, constant, no matter where or when he saw them. He shivered a little, the January chill seeping through the glass. The blanket being settled around his shoulders almost didn’t register, but the weight of his boyfriend against his back and the squeezing hug he was wrapped in brought him back to Earth.

“Staring at the moon again?”

Bruce plonked his head back onto Thor’s shoulder and sighed wistfully. “Yeah, it’s beautiful. I used to dream of getting out there every night when I was a kid,” he paused, still for a moment. “Did you know the furthest humans have got in space was round the dark side of the moon?” 

“The furthest humans got until you came along, you mean.” Thor nuzzled into his hair like an overly affectionate puppy, hugging him tighter.

“I don’t really know if you could call that human achievement…”

“I can.” Thor said simply, the hint of Asgardian royalty in his tone raising goosebumps on Bruce’s arms.

“It just looks so peaceful, so far away,” Bruce continued after a while, “it’s always there, no matter what, even if you can’t see it. Sure, I would have been excited to hear one day I’d go to space when I was a kid but…the moon was the real goal.”

Thor hummed a little, rocking him gently as they looked at the moon together.

“So,” Thor said as he handed Bruce his morning coffee the next day, “don’t make any plans for this Midgardian ‘Valentine’s Day’ holiday.”

“Mmrghn?”

Thor ruffled his hair, smiling at the way the curls stood up. “I’ll put it in your calendar for you.”

“Ffrnks,” Bruce mumbled into his mug, immediately forgetting the conversation.

A vague memory of it returned several weeks later, when he saw half his day was blanked out even though he could have sworn he had experiments to run on his fertiliser. It being Valentine’s Day would explain the wonky jam heart on the toast Thor had made for him earlier. So what was he planning…? Bruce smiled suddenly, spinning on his lab stool and flapping his hands. Thor was planning something! He’d never been one for Valentine’s Day before but knowing Thor wanted to mark it somehow made it seem special. 

He spent the rest of the morning barely focussing, typing and deleting several nonsense sentences while sneaking glances at the clock and waiting for Thor to appear in the doorway.

“I’ve got something for you to wear on our date.” Thor announced as he backed through the door, his arms full.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, “I’m really not that kinda person,” he said dryly.

“What?” Thor spun round with a huge bundle of fabric in his hands, easily recognisable as the Asgardian equivalent of space suits they’d worn on trips before.

“That’s…I think guys usually use that line in reference to lingerie. I was joking.”

“OH! Oh right. You Midgardians really are weird sometimes,” he muttered, sneaking a look at Bruce out of the corner of his eye and blushing slightly.

“…Space suit?” Bruce prompted.

“Yes! Yes, put this on, get comfy.”

Bruce wriggled on the spot, stomping his feet slightly. He loved the space suits! He didn’t like that he didn’t know how they worked (damn magic) but the protective layers of fabric were the comfiest thing he’d ever worn. Thor held it out and he stepped into it, squirming delightedly as the plush material encased his legs, his torso, his arms. Thor zipped the back, the suit responding to Bruce’s ‘fragile human’ biology and expanding around him. He flapped his hands, patting them against his stomach to feel the squishiness, how the pressure distorted the fabric around him, pressing into his skin.

Thor had clambered into his own suit while Bruce was distracted, and held out a hand. “Ready, love?”

He nodded a little giddily.

“Close your eyes.”

Bruce did so, having learned his lesson the first time he travelled this way and been both travel sick and overstimulated by colour and light. He felt a lurch, like travelling in a particularly violent lift, and wind rushing past him before they touched down somewhere, staggering a little.

“Okay. Eyes still closed?”

Bruce nodded carefully, still dizzy.

“We’re going to take a few steps forward.” Thor let go of his hand and wrapped his arm around Bruce, guiding him.

Bruce hummed briefly at the weight against his suit, tentatively stepping forward. 

“Oh!” His eyes flew open. He’d moved further than intended, bouncing and coming down far too lightly for gravity to be anywhere near -9.8m/s^2. He looked around in disbelief at the still grey landscape, marked by craters and rocks. Tears sprung to his eyes as he bounced once more, testing. He was really on the moon!

“Oomph!” Thor toppled over under the sudden weight of Bruce throwing himself at him. They both bounced gently onto the ground, Thor melting momentarily as the full weight of Bruce settled on top of him, squashing their suits together and pressing Thor further into the plush padding at his back. He was dimly aware of Bruce’s repeated thanks coming through the comms, but the fierce grip Bruce had around his waist was distracting him, sending shivers down his spine as he wriggled in his soft cocoon. He squeezed Bruce back, making him cut off his babbling with a squeak and sit up a little.

“Seriously. Thank you so much. And sorry for uh, knocking you over.”

“You’re very welcome,” Thor pressed his chubby, gloved hands to the sides of Bruce’s helmet, his eyes crinkling as he smiled helplessly. “And I didn’t exactly mind being knocked over,” he added, nodding to Bruce’s position still on his lap.

Bruce snorted softly, leaning in to hug Thor again, earning himself a big, dog-like sigh as they were pressed together from shoulders to hips, the double layer of plush padding cushioning between them. 

Thor leaned into him for a minute, soaking up the warmth and comfort of the embrace and then pulled back, patting Bruce on his plump sides. “Mmph, okay. Go and explore, I know you want to. Go and…use your PhDs or something.”

Bruce snorted, shaking his head “You still don’t know what that means, do you?”

“It means you’re a nerd and you’re excited about moon science.”

“…You got me there.” Bruce patted his hands quickly on his thighs and hopped – or rather, stumbled gracelessly – to his feet. The dusty grey landscape stretched out endlessly in front of him, completely quiet, devoid of life. Only twelve people had ever set foot on this rock. Well, twelve humans and who knew how many Asgardians given Thor’s apparent ability to just…go to the moon whenever he felt like it. 

He hopped forward unsteadily, trying not to fall flat on his face, the lower gravity and round suit ballooning around him impeding his movement. After a few steps he turned carefully, looking in awe at his footprints. He, Bruce Banner, had made footprints on the moon! Crouching, he made a handprint in the lunar dust as well, and then rubbed his hands together, trying to gauge the texture through his gloves. He wanted to take a rock with him but no…he couldn’t set any sort of moon stealing precedent. And what if he was allergic, he mused.

Hulk snorted derisively in the back of his head. **Hulk not have allergies. Banner not have allergies. Easy.**

Bruce smiled wryly to himself, turning a rock over in his hands and putting it back down. _I don’t want to find the exception the hard way buddy._

Thor had made his way to Bruce’s side, bouncing much more gracefully in his less bulky suit. “Good?”

Bruce nodded, grinning. “So good! I can’t believe I’m really here Thor, I dreamed of it so much but…”

Thor reached for his hand, entwining their gloved fingers. Bruce squeezed, the puffy fabric straining against the movement and squeezing around his knuckles. They both sighed, giggling a little at each other.

“Come on.” Thor swung their hands between them as he led Bruce on a slow bumbling walk across the dusty surface. Bruce followed in silent awe, still not entirely believing he was living his lifelong dream despite the landscape, the dark sky above them, the lurching feeling with every bounce, unsure if he would touch down again.

Thor stopped in the middle of the clearest stretch of ground he could see, Bruce stumbling against his side as he halted suddenly.

“I’m not sure if this is a traditional Valentine’s Day activity but I thought you might like to…dance a little?”

“I don’t think any of this could be classified as traditional,” Bruce gestured to their surroundings, “but yes… I will dance on the moon with you, dork.”

Thor held his arms out in invitation and Bruce stepped between them, using his wobbly bounce as an excuse to lean against Thor’s broad chest and wrap his arms around his puffy waist. Thor chuckled, unfooled, folding his arms around Bruce in turn, the thick layers of padding crinkling softly as they pressed into his body. He rocked them gently from side to side, humming a tune Bruce didn’t recognise through the comms. One of his hands swept up and down Bruce’s back, pressing firmly into the soft padding of the suit. 

The endless black sky stretched above them, empty and unforgiving except for the tiny pinpricks of light scattered across it, other stars, other worlds, all so far they couldn’t touch them. They were totally alone, insulated from the universe in their suits, the only sounds Bruce could hear his breathing, Thor’s soft humming, the suits creaking as they moved.

“Thank you for this,” he repeated again, feeling stuck on the sentiment but also so happy his chest hurt.

“Of course! It’s good to see you happy.” Thor smiled, his whole face crinkling. “And besides, why else would you date a god?”

He frowned, poking Thor ineffectually in the side, “You know I’d be happy doing anything with you. How did you know I’d want to come to the moon anyway?”

Thor stopped swaying, hugging him tighter and leaning down until their helmets nudged together with a gentle bonk. “Bruce. Light of my life. Absolute fool. You talk about it all the time.” 

Bruce tried to protest but settled for shrugging as Thor guided him into a shuffling sort of waltz, and they spun slowly in the lunar dust, leaving blurred, entwined footprints that would outlast both their lifespans.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's!!
> 
> come say hi on tumblr @eliza-the-cat


End file.
